Bullet fired at house in Sadashiv Peth, hunt on for history-sheeter

There was a panic in Limayewadi in Sadashiv Peth, located in the heart of the city, after a bullet fired around 9.15 pm on Monday hit the window of a flat rented to students.

Police investigation revealed that the bullet was fired by a criminal on police records, who was drunk and had a quarrel over money with another person, who is an accused in a 2012 murder case.

Police on Tuesday arrested one of the suspects who was with the man who fired the bullet.

Vishrambaug police said the incident was reported by Anmol Giri (20), a student who lives in a rented flat on the fourth floor of Dattatray Apartment in Limayewadi. Around 9.15 pm, when Giri was talking to his brother on phone, he heard a gun shot. “When he went to the window, he saw that the glass was broken and smoke was coming from it,” said Senior Inspector Rajendra Sawant.

He added, “As our team reached the spot, we looked for empty cartridges. After finding it, we started investigation and got a clue from the murder of one Tejbahadur Singh Thakur (65), which took place in November 2012, few metres away from the building.”

Investigation revealed that an accused in the murder case, Jitendra Jainath Pal — who is Thakur’s son-in-law — and his friend Abhishek Kasbe had a dispute over money after they consumed liquor at a flat in a nearby building. “Kasbe opened fire and the bullet hit the window of Giri’s house. We have arrested Pal and launched a search for Kasbe. We will arrest him soon.”

Police have booked the suspects under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

Kasbe has two offences registered against him in the past, and Pal — who was arrested for the murder of Thakur — was out on bail, said an officer.